Fountain-pen



(No Model.)

W. W'. STEWART.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

Patented Aug. 24

A TTU/MEV:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NYILL'IAM W. STEWART, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

FouN'rAm-PEN.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters' ratent No. 588,709, dated August24, 1897.

Y Application filed February 18, 1897. Serial No. 624,010. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. STEWART, a resident of Brooklyn, Kingscounty, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fountain-Pens, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

My invention relates more particularly to fountain-pens in which atubular handle or reservoir closed at the upper end is used and whereinsuitable ducts are provided at the lower end of thepen to convey ink tothe pennib and to admit air to the reservoir. In fountain-pens of thisdescription wherein air and ink are combined, .so to speak, at the lowerend of the pen, so that air is admittedto the reservoir and ink isallowed to be fed to the pen-nib, the air naturally forms itself intobubbles or globules on its passage to the reservoir. These globulesnaturally conform in size to the conduit or channel through which theyhave to pass, in view of which it will be obvious that the'globules inthemselves form means for obstructing the flow of ink through theconduit in which they are contained. l Principally for this reason greatdifficulty has been experienced heretofore inY providing a fountain-penwhich will meet all requirements. Y

The object of my invention is to overcome these and other difficultiesheretofore experienced and to provide simple and efficient means forcontrolling and regulating the flow of ink andl for providing againstthe liability of the pen sweating when not in use, as will behereinafter more fully explained. l

To this end my invention consists in the novel arrangement andcombination `of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorrespending parts in various views, Figure 1 is a side view, lookingin the direction of the plug to be hereinafter more fully described..

The holder or reservoir A is preferably closed at its upper end and isadapted to connect with a nozzle B by screw-threads d or otherwise.Within thenozzle B maybe maintai-ned a feeder-bar C, which in thepresent inst-ance is shownas comprising a body portion'which preferablyfits friction-tight in the nozzle B andis adjustable therein. From thisbody portion of the feeder-bar projects a slitted feeder-fingerb, whichin the-present instance bears upon the under side of the pennib D, asshown in Fig. 2. The feeder-bar is provided with a bore or ink-conduitd, which is circular in cross-section and preferably terminates indaring mouths dd2 to better control the bubbles and thereby control theflow of ink through the bore or conduit d. Within the circular bore d iscontained an obstruction-plug e, which is independent of the feeder-barand which is noncircular in cross-section 'at a portion'ofits diameterand terminates at its upper end Within the conduit d. within the conduitat or near the lower end This plug is contained thereof andv ispreferably provided with an extension or finger-piece f, by which it maybe adjusted in the conduit d or withdrawn therefrom.

i means of the finger-piece or hook-like extension f, and when the penisfilled the obstruction-plug is replaced in the bore and the pen is incondition for use. In operation the ink and air pass in oppositedirections through the apertures formed between the corners of theobstruction-plug andthe Walls of the circular bore. Theink is fed to theslit in the vIingerb of the feeder-bar and thence to the pen asrequired. The air passing to the rear of the obstruction-plug e has atendency to'form into a globule of about the same diameter as theobstruction-plug. It will be readily understoodl that if theobstructionplug e were circular instead of non-circular in orossfsectionand of smaller diameter than the conduit an air-bubble at the rear ofthe obstruc- This plug is of sufficient diame- .ter at portions thereofto make contact with tion would form a seal against the flow of ink andair in opposite directions and a control of the flow could not be had.Various means have been devised heretofore to either destroy orotherwise get rid of these bubbles, but by my invention I am enabled toutilize them to automatically control the flow of ink to the pen-nib.The obstruction e maintains a bubble near the lower end of the conduit,and under ordinary circumstances would tend to choke the flow of ink andair in opposite directions, but the fact that the plug` is noncircularin cross-section, preferably where it contacts with the walls of ftheconduit, allows of the ready iow of ink and air-inopposite directions,In other words, the tendency of the bubble at the rear of theobstructionplug c is to form a globule or semiglobular ilm, and a spaceis formed between said film and the angular or non-circularobstructionplug which forms a nucleus for the inilux and efflux of airto and from the reservoir, and the portions of said obstruction-plugwhich contact with the walls of the conduit constitute a nucleus for theiiow of ink to the pen-nib.

It will be observed that by my invention the obstruction plug forms acontrolling means for the iow of inl; and air which is entirelyindependent of the feed to the pennib from the feeder-finger of thefeeder-bar, and that a pen of my construction can properly ventilateitself at all times, and thereby prevent all liability of sweatingthatis to say, when the pen is not in use there is no liability of theexpansion of the air within the holdercausingair-bubbles with the inkwhich lforms a component part thereof being forced out through the boreand around the pennozzle, as heretofore, because the air within theholder at alltimes may escape through the apertures formed between thesurface of the bubbles and the obstruction-plug e. Thus, assumingthatabubble has a tendency to rise in the conduit CZ when the pen is notin use, it will travel as far as the obstruction-plug and there beretained, at the same time allowing the air to escape between theobstructionplug and the film.

My invention is of particular value in large pens wherein a considerableiiow of ink is required because of the absolute control and regularityof the iiow without liability of the pen sweating, bleeding, or droppingink, which heretofore could not be had. Furthermore, it will be seenthat the single conduit of my construction forms practically anextension of the reservoir and constitutes in itself a reservoir of someconsiderable proportions, which may 'be readily drawn upon for a supplyof ink to the pen-nib. p It -will likewise be observed that by myinvention I am enabled to provide an eihcient pen which is simple inconstruction and wherein there is little liability of the parts gettingout of order and wherein there are no minute channels or passages whichare liable to become choked and render the pen inoperative.

I am aware that heretofore feeder-bars of non-circular shape incross-section, contained within conduits of circular shape incrosssection, have been devised, and such constructions I do not claim,the obstructionplug of my invention being essentially different infunction and effect from these feederbars.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fountain-pen, the combination of an ink-conduit in communicationwith the pennib and with the open air, and a non-circularobstruction-plug contained within said conduit at or near the lower` endthereof and terminating therein.

2. In a fountain-pen, the combination of an ink-conduit circular incross-section, the said conduit .bein g in communication with the penniband with the open air and a non-circular adjustable obstruction-plu gcontained within said conduit at or nea-r the lower end thereof andterminating therein.

3. In a fountain-pen, the combination of an ink-conduit circular incross-section, said conduit being in communication with the pennib andwith the open air and a non-circular adjustable and removableobstruction-plug contained within said conduit at or near the lower endthereof and terminating therein.

4. In a fountain-pen, the combination of an ink-conduit circularincross-section, said conduit being in communication with the pennib andwith the open air and a non-circular obstruction-plug contacting withthe walls of said conduit at or near the lower end thereof andterminating therein.

5. In a fountain-pen, a feeder-bar having a slitted feeder-linger projectin g therefrom and an ink-conduit circular in cross-section, the saidconduit being entirely surrounded by the walls of said feeder-bar and incommunication with the reservoir and with the open air and anon-circular obstruction-plug independent of said feeder bar containedwithin said conduit at or near the lower end and terminating therein.

IVILLIAM IV. STEVVARI. lVitnesses:

CHARLES E. SMITH, MAURICE BLOCK.-

IOL"

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